25 companies team up to build U.S. business
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 9, 2003
Gramado, Brazil — A new organization of small furniture factories near here have joined to create a trading syndicate, hoping their collective strength will appeal to U.S. buyers.
Made up of 25 companies Rio Grande do Sul, a state in southern Brazil, Sindmobil members hope to collaborate on sales, distribution and even production in order to win new U.S. business. The Sindmobil members showed their furniture at a market held here at the same time as Salao do Movel.
Lino Hermann, president of case goods maker Hermann and leader of the Sindmobil effort, said the syndicate is trying to develop a more aggressive approach to export.
"Perhaps in this region we do not have the attitude that is focused on exporting, but we are trying to build that by working together," he said.
The Brazilian government is creating tax incentives for exporters, and Brazil's weakening currency — the real has lost about 50% of its value against the dollar in the past year — makes the country's exports cheaper to buy.
"The exchange and the taxes are both favorable for export right now, and we want to take advantage of this opportunity," Hermann said.
Furniture manufacturing is a major industry throughout southern Brazil, where the Italian and German heritage of craftsmanship is strong. Wood in several species is abundant, and labor is inexpensive by U.S. standards.
"We are working with real wood, and we have a real value," Hermann said. "We think they will buy our products because they will be able to sell them profitably."
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